be eedon



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

.0. P. DE REDON; ELECTRIG UAR BRAKE. No. 597,432. Patented Jan. 18,1898.

-----"" "ATTORNEY BRI: PEYERS no. Pno'ronma, WLSHNHTON, a. c.

(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. P. DE REDON.

ELEGTRIG GAR BRAKE. 7

No. 597,432. Patented Jan. 18,, 1898.

UNITED STATES CONSTANT F. DE REDON, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 597,432, dated January18, 1898.

Application filed September 22,1896. Serial No. 606,602. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CONSTANT F. on Renew, a citizen of France, and aresident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in electric car-brakes, andparticularly to the class of brakes in which by magnetic attraction orthe power of an electromagnet the brake-shoes are drawn against thetrack-rails or against both the track-rails and car-wheels.

The object of my invention is to greatly improve and increase theefticiency of this class of brakes and to produce structures of greatdurability, simplicity, and reliability and which may be convenientlyapplied to the cars.

The system embodying my invention enobraces stationary electromagnets atopposite sides of the car, pivoted brake-arms at the ends or terminalsof the electromagnets, and brake-shoes pivotally secured to said armsand held normally upward by means of springs. The brake-shoes areadapted to the form of the rails or wheels, as the case may be, and theyare capable of yielding upward to pass over any obstruction that may beon the rails. I

The nature of my invention and several means for carrying the same intoeffect will be understood from the detailed description hereinafterpresented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which--Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car-truck provided withbrakes constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention. Fig.2is a top view of same. Fig. 3 is an end view of same. Figxiisadetachedside elevation showing a modified form of brake-shoe for same. Fig. 5 isa side elevation of a portion of a car-truck employing a modified formof the invention. Fig. 6 is a top view, partly At each side of the carand between the wheels B is suitably suspended by any suitable hangersthe electromagnet 0, having heads at its opposite ends, to which arepivotally secured by means of the horizontal pins or shafts thebrake-arms or links G, which extend lengthwise of the track-rails H andsupport in their outer ends in a pivotal manner the brake-shoes J J, oneof which contacts with the car-wheel B and the other with the rail 11.In Figs. 1 to '3, inclusive, the left-hand link or brake-arm G extendsupward to the brake-shoe J from the pin or shaft L, secured in the headM of the electromagnet O, and on this shaft L is provided a spring N,normally holding the brake-shoe from the car-wheel. The right-hand linkor brake-arm G of Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, is secured upon the outer endof the horizontal shaft P, which is journaled in sleeves or bearings Q Qand loosely receives between the latter the plate R, having thetransverse pin S for contact with the pin T, carried by the shaft P. Theshaft P, under the action of the spring V, retains the right-handbrake-arm G, with its shoe J, normally in an elevated position, but whenthe current is applied the plate R will be drawn to the magnet andthrough the contact of its pin S with the pin T will turn the shaft Pand move the right-hand brake-shoe J toward the rail. When the currentis cut off, the spring V will restore the shaft P and its brake arm andshoe to their normal position, and during the return of these parts totheir normal position the pin T will strike the pin S and move the plateR outward from the end of the magnet. When the left-hand brake-shoe J isagainst the wheel and the right-hand brake-shoe is on the rail, as shownin Fig. l, the circuit will be from the left-hand shoe through the wheeland rail to the right-hand shoe. cation of the energizing-current willcause the shoes to bind against the car-wheel and track-rail,respectively, and when the current is cut ofi the springs N V will atonce withdraw the brake-shoes to their normal position free of saidwheel and rail.

The left-hand brake-shoe may be either in the form shown in Fig. l orthat illustrated in Fig. i, or of any other suitable or convenient formor construction.

The appli- The parts shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, will beduplicated for opposite sides of the car and will be suspended from thecar-frame by hangers of any suitable formsuch, for instance, as thehangers illustrated. in Fig. 5 with respect to the electromagnet thereshown.

While I show in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, two different forms of brakeshoes for engagement with the car-wheel, I prefer the form of shoeillustrated in Fig. 1, for the reason that its surface which contactswith the car-wheel may roll thereon, being in the form of rollers, asshown, and not wear flat the periphery of the car-wheel, as would be thecase with the use of the brake-shoe shown in Fig. 4. The body of theshoe J for the car-wheel shown in Fig. 1. is sufficiently close to thepee riphery of the wheel to maintain the lines of magnetic force betweenitself and the surface of the wheel, but only physically contacts withthe car-wheel through the rollers shown, (one or more of the rollersbeing employed, as may be preferred,) while the lower or rail shoe Jdirectly and fully contacts with the rail.

In the. use of the construction shown in Fig. 1 there will be a strongerbinding action between the lower or rail shoe J and the rail thanbetween the upper or wheel shoe J and the car-wheel, and since thewheel-shoe J is relatively nearto the car-wheel and will move firstunder the action of the current its movement may be used to aid inforcing the lower or rail shoe J downward through the medium of the rodW, extending from the pin X to the left hand brake arm G. Anotheradvantage of the construction shown in Fig. 1 is that all the parts ofthe brake are confined within a small compass by reason particularly ofthe fact that the lower or right-hand arm G turns inward in line withvthe length of the magnet and at its end pivotally supports from acentral point the railshoe J, which also is confined within the lengthof the magnet; and a further advantage of the construction shown in Fig.1 isthat the rocking of the car when brought to a stop will have butslight effect on the brakeshoes, due to their position and pivotalconnections.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 I illustrate a modification of the invention, inwhich, as will be observed, the magnets O at oppositesides of the carare arranged transversely of the car and are connected by the core orshaft a. magnet of Figs. 5, 6, and 7 employs but one brake-shoe, and ateach magnet this brakeshoe is carried by the brake-arm G, which is hungfrom the shaft 17 and given a normal upward tension by means ofthespring 0. Upon the shaftbis mounted the contact plate or dog (1, whosedownward movement is limited. by the pin'or stop e, and which, whendrawn upward by the niagnet, will drive its toe f against the pin g onthe brake-arm and move the latter, with its shoe, downward toward thetrack-rail. When the current is cut off from the magnet, the spring awill elevate the brake-arm and brake-shoe, and during such upwardmovement the pin g on the arm will strike the toe f and turn the plateor dog d downward toward the stop-pin 6.

With the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the magnetic current isfrom the shoes through the rails to the car-wheels and thence throughthe car-axle.

In all of the forms of construction ,shown in the drawings there is anarticulated connection intermediate the rail brake-shoes and the magnet,and hence the shoes may yield upward to any obstruction which maybe onthe rails.

The constructions shown in the drawings and above described areparticularly efficient, durable, and comparatively inexpensive, and theymay be readily applied to the cars at minimum cost.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a railway-brake, the magnet carried by the car and at each side ofthe latter, combined with a pivoted brake-arm carried from the end ofeach magnet and turning inward in line with the length of the magnet,and a brake-shoe for contact with the rail carried by each of saidbrake-arms, substantially as set forth.

2. In a railway-brake,'the magnet carried by the car and at each side ofthe latter, combined with pivoted brake-arms carried from one end of themagnets and turning inward in line with the length of the magnet,brakeshoescarried by said arms for contact with the rails, pivotedbrake-arms'carried from the other end of the magnets, and brakeshoescarried thereby for contact with the car-wheels; substantially as setforth.

3. In a railway-brake, the magnet carried by the car and at each side ofthelatter, combined with the pivoted brake-arms carried from one end ofthe magnets and turninginward in line with the length of the magnets,brake-shoes carried by said arms for contact with the rails, pivotedbrake-arms carried from the other end of said magnets, brakeshoescarried thereby and having rolling surfaces for contact with thecar-wheels, and the rods connecting the brake-arms at opposite ends ofsaid magnets whereby the movement of one arm will aid the movement ofthe other .arm; substantially as set forth. Each 4. In a railway-brake,the magnet carried by the car andat each side of the latter, com- .binedwith the, shaft mounted at the end of each magnet, the brake armthereon, the

brake-shoe carried by each of said arms for contact with the rail, thecontact-plate on each shaft to be attracted by the magnets and means forimparting movement from the contact-plates to said brake-arms;substantially asset forth. I

5. In a railway-brake, the magnet carried by the car and at each side ofthe latter, com- I0 movement of the brake-arms is simultaneous with theoutward movement of said plates; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 21st day of September, A. D. 1896.

CONSTANT F. DE REDON'.

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. GILL, E. J 0s. BELKNAP.

